


Defeat

by gabrielleabelle



Series: Strengthverse [3]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/M, Marriage Proposal, Post-Apocalyptic, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-01
Updated: 2010-08-01
Packaged: 2017-10-26 00:31:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/276578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gabrielleabelle/pseuds/gabrielleabelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the post-apocalyptic fallout of a nuclear explosion, Buffy and Spike re-affirm their connection.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Defeat

**Author's Note:**

> This is another one set in the same universe as [Strength](http://gabrielleabelle.livejournal.com/192114.html) (and previous schmoop_fic, [Connection](http://gabrielleabelle.livejournal.com/242881.html)). Basically, all you need to know is that the events of NFA set off the apocalypse. Buffy and Spike are and have been together for a while now.

"Humans are bloody stupid."

Buffy grabbed the tray - actually a piece of battered sheet metal roughly approximating a tray. She stepped forward as the line advanced.

"The world's gone to shit. Some beings would pull together to survive, yeah? But not humans. No, they have to go and throw one of their nukes around and bollocks things up for everybody."

The demon in front of her growled at the food selection, but it still offered up its tray to be served. Buffy sighed. She felt the familiar tug at her abdomen and refrained from cringing. She knew she had to eat, no matter the difficulty in doing so.

"Got the odd mix of merry demons down here building soup kitchens amongst the sewer rats and do you see _any_ humans - save you - around? Course not. They're all hiding in corners with weapons, aiming to kill the lot of us."

An unidentifiable pile of something slightly edible was spooned onto her tray. Buffy looked the server in the eye. She'd killed his mate last week. Spike had helped.

"What you got on tap for vampires?" Spike hadn't bothered with a tray, of course.

The bench seats were all taken so Buffy found an unoccupied corner to sit in. Spike followed with a glass jar of dark red liquid.

"Demon blood," Spike held it up. "God, I hate this stuff."

Buffy scooped the food up to give it a taste. She made a face. This wasn't helping the whole eating thing.

A reptile demon walking by turned abruptly. Its tail swiped at Buffy's tray and sent it flying across the room.

Spike jumped to his feet almost instantly. "Hey! Watch it!"

The demon turned to them. It appraised Buffy with golden eyes. "Waste of food, anyway."

Spike moved closer. "That's the damn Slayer there, mate. Think you owe her a replacement meal or she's apt to take your tail off."

Buffy sighed. Her stomach was queasy anyway.

"She's welcome to try. It'll just grow back." The reptile demon turned away to leave.

Spike would have gone after him to continue the confrontation, but Buffy tugged on his jeans. "Spike, leave it. It's okay."

The fight drained from Spike at that. He sat down and picked up his mug again. "Fucking demons."

Buffy let her head fall back against the wall and closed her eyes.

"You do need to eat, love." He said it quietly as if he knew it was an unwelcome comment.

Buffy ignored it.

"After this, think we should try to hunt down that doctor again. May be a long shot, but it's worth it if he has the equipment to help, yeah?"

That idea was laughable. Even before the end of everything, the equipment didn't always help.

"Either that or we can make a run for the canned goods. 'Tween the two of us, I think we stand a chance of breaking the gang's defenses."

Buffy put her hand on top of Spike's. They were matched for pallor nowadays.

"I think we should get married," Buffy said.

Spike paused with the jar of blood at his lips. He lowered his hand to stare at her. "Married...?"

She nodded.

"Buffy, there's no marriage."

She shrugged. "I know. But I still want to marry you." She looked at him, hoping he'd understand without her having to explain.

He did. She saw it in his eyes. He flipped his hand palm up and entwined their fingers together.

"Till the end of the world," he said.

"Even if that happens to be now."

 _fin_


End file.
